Anchored by faith

Chelsea Nisbett won an ECMA award for herfirst CD in 2008. (Photo courtesy of Chelsea Nisbett)

She’s not a visual artist, but Chelsea Nisbett feltcompelled to sketch a picture that was rolling around in her head:an image of a tree buffeted by hurricane-force winds, but held firmby a giant hand clasped around its roots.

That drawing inspired a song, which then in turn became thetitle track of her new album, Anchored Roots.

“The idea is, no matter what you’re going through,the storms in your life, there is hope and that’s whatI’m trying to portray,” says Ms. Nisbett, a young Dalalum who is now finishing a teaching degree at Mount Saint VincentUniversity. She hopes to become a French and math teacher whilepursuing her music at the same time.

Ms. Nisbett, who got her start singing in the church choir onSunday mornings, says it’s the hand of God keeps hergrounded.

“As a Christian, (God) is the foundation for mylife,” explains Ms. Nisbett, a 2008 East Coast Music Awardwinner for best gospel recording. “A lot of what I writesprings from that.”

The new album was recorded over the past two years in Nashvilleand Winnipeg, with two-time Grammy nominee Rob Wilson—akaFresh I.E.—at the controls. She wrote or co-wrote eight of 10songs herself.

She’ll perform those songs at a CD release concert set forFriday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. at Vineyard Family Ministry Centre,1129 Sackville Drive, in Sackville.